For those of you who are having your 2nd, 3rd, 4th... 10th baby

So for those of you who are doing this for the second or more time around do you have any fears of labour being too short?

I know it isn't always the case... but I have the text book situation where my second labour was less then half the time of my first labour. I went from 12 hours with my first to less then 5 with my second.

I know people think a quick labour is a blessing but I found with less then 5 hours my body just wasn't ready. It was not a relaxed process by any means. It was fast and furious and a whole lot more painful then the 12 hour labour. Now I am not by any means wishing for a labour that goes on for days... don't get me wrong. I can't image being in labour for days. But I did enjoy that intimate relaxed time with my husband while we waited, walked, relaxed, even slept a bit. With my second labour I felt that was the one thing that was missing.

So I guess what I'm saying is I'm scared its going to be cut in half again. That it'll be even more fast and furious, that my body won't have time to adjust and it'll be too intense for me to handle... but also that we'll get zero of that intimate time waiting for baby during the excitment of labour.

Anyone else feeling this way?

My midwife says that the third pregnancy can often be the wild card... and that I could all of sudden see something totally different and out of left field.

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this is my second pregnancy, but my first delivery was 4.5 hours.... so yeah... I have to admit that it has been in the back of my mind. I was also told that really quick labours are *more* painful, because you pack so much work into such a short time, and I am worried that this time around will be like, 3 hours or less.....

Well glad I'm not the only one :) I don't want people to think I'm selfish for hoping that I don't have a crazy fast labour. That I should be glad to have it over and done with.

I have a friend who was an hour and half with her first and less then 45 minutes with her second... from start to finish. She never had the prelabour... it was ALL active labour and super fast. I know we all hear horror stories but hers always sticks in the back of my mind that she (TMI coming right NOW) tore from stem to stern and ended up with a crazy amount of stitches... she always talks about how it took them longer to sew her up then it did to give birth... that she swears she saw them go in with roll after roll of thread.

So hearing stuff like that makes we want my body to have the time to prepare.

hmmmmm, ok, well with my first I also had NO pre-labor. My water broke and I hit active labor immediately (2 min apart, lasting 1 min each). By the time we got to the hospital I was 5cm. By the time I was all checked in and hooked up to IV (GBS +) I was close to 7 cm..... so, my midwife got me off my feet and laying down in the tub, which is supposed to slow labor down. I lay down, instead of squatting, because the point was to slow things down enough that I didn't tear. It DID help. It took me another hour to get from 7cm to 9cm.... then when it was time to push I pushed on all fours, and squatting, which also help to prevent tearing. My midwife applied counter pressure, and warm cloths to my perineum as well..... so I had only minimal tearing, and 4 stitches....

So there you go... it actually can go OK, if your midwife knows what to do :)

lol well good to know :) I've been lucky with the whole tearing thing. I did have a third degree tear with my OB the first time. But with my midwife the second time I only need a couple stitches. I'm super excited to be using her again :) All said and done what I really really want is that intimate time with my husband. I find it so bonding and relaxing.

lol... sorry yumita :) Didn't mean to make you worry. Maybe just hang out around the hosptial for the last little bit? lol. Just kidding. Even my friend who did the 45 minute labour made it to the hospital. She had a shower at home, got there and delivered within about 10 minuts of arriving.

I'm terrified. With my first I went into labour at 35 weeks. It was 3 days long and my placenta ruptured after 2.5 days. With my 2nd I went into labour the morning of my due date, but wasn't in any real pain until 10pm. I had gone to the hospital at 6pm to get checked out, but they figured it would probably be the next day if that soon, so I went back home. I went back to the hospital at 11pm and baby was on the way before I was checked in. I had him just after midnight. Only 2 hours of hard labor, including push time. I was completely unprepared for a natural birth, but I did it. This time I'm going to the hospital and staying put early on.

I'm worried too. My first only took about 4 hrs labour with 25 min of pushing and about 15 to 20 stitches. My second, the active labour was only 1 hr and pushed for 4 minutes, no tearing. I'm really worried about a fast labour again. It was so fast, and intense, I don't think I can handle it again. We will be working with a doula this time and my dr has said we will discuss my fast labours closer to the date. I don't really want to be induced though, because I've heard it can lead to more complications which I would really like to avoid.

Sunshine, I could be your friend :) My first was 7 hours, second 2.5 and third 45 min start to finish!

My first was a hospital birth, second was planning a home birth but she cane at 36 weeks, my husband was out for a run and I was bathing our son. my water broke. I called my doula, i was in no pain and i kept insisting I could still make it to 37 weeks (lol). She was
timing the contractions and announced she was calling EMS or i was having the baby all by myself (with my son)!

My husband got home as i was getting gurnied up on the ambulance. I got to he hosptial, my husband arrived 10 minutes later and after 10 minutes of pushing my daughter was born (the day after my birthday). 2.5 hours from water breaking. Thank God my doula knew!

My second daughter was 39 weeks, home birth. I had been 5 cm for 2 weeks! When labour hit i called
hubby and midwife. They both got there 30 min later and I had been waiting to push since about 5min in to labour! Finally my midwife got her stuff set up and
said I could push, 15 min later she was
born. I think it would have been faster but I had been holding back pushing for about half an hour, so making the switch to allowing myself to push was a
mind job.

When people give me grief about my home birth choice (like my dr today a bit), i just say, well, I don't think I would have made it to the hospital even if i wanted to!

Sunshine, i hear you about bejng worried. I feel a bit jealous of women who can birth in water, go for nice walks etc etc. None of that for me. However, my births have all been magical in their own way and i wouldn't change anything.

Also, my last was the fastest and there was no tearing. It helps if your doc or midwife knows how to slow it down or give you tips so you don't tear. Fast does not have
to mean more painful or more tearing. My labours are never overly painful. Crazy I know.

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